Brooks Turner poses for a photo with his Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. brothers.
Courtesy of Brooks Turner
Before Brooks Turner became a student at Ole Miss, he did not know much about traditionally black fraternities. Turner, a white student from Kosciusko, came to Ole Miss in the fall of 2008. When he thought Greek, he thought Interfraternity Council. After going to the Greek forums and doing some research, however, he became inspired by one group’s dedication to service and making the community a better place, but it was not a traditionally white fraternity. Turner wanted to join Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., a National Pan-Hellenic Council organization.
“It was a big decision,” Turner said. “I didn’t know any members of (Alpha fraternity) and I didn’t get the time to know them. I liked what the fraternity was trying to accomplish. It really had the characteristics that I aspired to have as a man.”
A 2013 Ole Miss graduate, Turner is currently in his second semester of medical school at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Looking back on his time as an undergraduate, Turner said his interest in becoming an Alpha was inspired by an unexpected acquaintance.
Kosciusko is a small town in the middle of the Bible Belt, and Turner was not exposed to anything other than his Christian upbringing before college. He became friends with a Muslim student through the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. After a year and a half of playing intramural sports and helping each other study for their engineering class, their friendship evolved into a brotherhood that was no longer defined by differences of faith. The experience made Turner realize there was a flaw in his personality that he wanted to reject.
“It gave me a new perspective, that I can stereotype people easily,” he said. “I wanted to distance myself from that and not judge people by the color of the skin and background or whatever. While I was on campus, I noticed that the black fraternity just seemed closer and smaller-knit and they had a genuine brotherhood.”
Before he gained that perspective, Turner never considered joining a fraternity, the beliefs and affiliations of which differed from his.
Turner decided to attend an Alpha interest meeting. Unlike the traditionally white organizations, men interested in joining a traditionally black fraternity must show dedication to just one group in order to get in. NPHC Coordinator of Greek Affairs EJ Edney, also an Alpha, wanted to make sure Turner knew about the organization.
“We wanted to make sure that anyone who joins our organization knows something about us before they come,” Edney said. “What was immediately impressive to me was how well (Turner) could articulate why he wanted to be a member of the organization. After that, any type of doubt we had of his motivations behind wanting to become a member were completely nullifed.”
In fall of 2010, Turner and seven other students became line brothers, men who pledged together. During their undergraduate time together, they developed a close brotherhood.
“We can talk to each other about anything,” Turner said. “We can joke around with each other or discuss personal issues. There is no awkwardness because I’m white and they’re black. We really do genuinely treat these guys as brothers. It really shows how you can take people from different races and be able to find a way to put that aside and just enjoy each other and love each other as brothers when a lot of society would almost break you from that.”
Turner was immediately concerned with the perception of his decision from family and friends. Turner’s parents were worried about backlash and public perception. After he explained to them why he joined the fraternity, their worry subsided and they supported him. Mixed reactions from classmates and friends soon followed.
“When I came out with my letters, friends still accepted me, but they wouldn’t talk about it,” Turner said. “I think when people saw me trying to represent the organization in a positive way, they maybe gained a new perspective of what I stand for.”
According to Edney, Turner never tried to be anyone other than himself around the Alphas. Seeing Turner comfortable with members in the group despite their race changed Edney for the better.
“What bringing Brooks into Alpha Phi Alpha did for me was that it held up a mirror for me,” Edney said. “It kind of challenged me to start evaluating people on an individual basis. It made me realize that I was doing some of the same things that bring me so much frustration as an African-American man. That when I saw (Turner) and felt that he needed to explain why he wanted to become member of Alpha Phi Alpha more than everybody else, I was doing the same when I enter into a room and I feel like I have to talk differently and use bigger words. It really brought my guard down.”
For Tuner, Alpha’s dedication to service and making the community a better place changed him both personally and professionally. He changed his major from chemical engineering to pre-med, a field allowing him the opportunity to influence people’s lives on a personal level. Turner changed as a result of joining Alpha, but he wasn’t the only one affected by his involvement in the fraternity.
“I formed a lot of relationships with people who are different from me, and realized that I, too, was only in my comfort zone,” Edney said. “Seeing how comfortable he was in an environment that could be considered as hostile made me understand that I can be comfortable in those environments too. It helps you filter out those people who can either appreciate that or don’t.”
When Turner looks into the future of Greek life at Ole Miss, he hopes that prospective members will be judged by character instead of color, faith or cultural differences.
“We’re really not that different,” Turner said. “We are all dealing with the same issues as humans. We may approach them differently because of our backgrounds, but that doesn’t mean we should judge people. One day, society will no longer categorize people based on things they have no control over. Everyone should feel comfortable in their own skin and not feel like they have to fit a certain mold to be accepted.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part two of a series examining race and the Greek system at The University of Mississippi. Part one ran in yesterday’s edition of The Daily Mississippian.
